Expert in a Week
A year ago, I documented my attempts at learning how to really swim on Facebook. I’m kicking myself now for not recording with video, but the point is, I wanted to see how good at swimming I could get in 7 sessions.
The first few sessions were ROUGH, and had me feeling like I was going to drown. But, with some YouTube coaching, tips some friends, and a little bit of hard-headedness, I was able to swim a mile straight on my 7th session.
The improvement was crazy to me – not because of some innate talent I have, but because of what determination and practice can do for us.
So, that led me to Expert in a Week. My new YouTube channel that, so far, just has one project. This first challenge was to learn the piano in a week.
Let’s be real here, I’m not going to learn an entire instrument in a week, so I decided to try and learn a song in a week. And then… perform it in public… at the airport.
I hope you enjoy the journey.
Don’t forget the book recommendation below, but here is another video where a buddy of mine interviewed me about the piano experience for more behind the scenes details.
Book Recommendation
Peter Attia
Okay, this was one of my top books of the year, for several reasons.
Reason #1
The author’s philosophy around longevity lines up with my feelings about the topic. He’s just much better at articulating everything than I am.
The conversation of being able to extend our lives past 100, 110, 150… has been happening as long as I’ve been alive, and I’m sure even longer than that.
And yes, with enough money and science, we’re pretty decent at keeping people alive. But, longevity isn’t just about staying alive.
It’s about enjoying life while still alive, and being able to do the things you’d hope to be able to do as opposed to being hooked up to a machine.
The author shares details around not just living more years, but the things we can do to make sure our last 10 years are as enjoyable as possible.
Reason #2
The author refers to the 4 horsemen that account for over 80% of deaths in people over 50 who do not smoke…
- Atherosclerotic disease – think heart disease and stroke
- Cancer
- Neurodegenerative disease – Alzheimer’s being the most common
- “Foundational disease.” There are a lot included in this, including hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, and others.
He then goes through each of these in detail, explaining what we can control as well as what we can’t (that we know of).
The encouraging news is that, with many of these, it’s not too late to start.
Reason #3
He gets technical.
Peter (I’m a millennial, so I just assume I’m on a first-name basis with everyone) goes through chemical pathways, hormones, genes, therapies, and major functional systems of the body. Some may enjoy the detailed, scientific breakdown of these topics (I sure did), others may not. Our bodies are incredible machines, and the more you learn about the details happening on microscopic levels, the more awe-inspiring it gets.
Reason #4
Peter’s advice felt practical.
As an example, he discusses diets.
I’m sure we’ve all seen, and maybe even tried, all kinds of fad diets where carbs are the devil, no fats are the devil, no sugar is the devil, not (insert other fad diets here).
Peter (a doctor, by the way) explains that there is no magic diet. Most people can handle all kinds of foods. Moderation is important. Quantities make a big deal.
I appreciated that his recommendation wasn’t the latest diet that he’s getting paid to pitch. Made me feel better while also motivating me to make some little tweaks that can have long-term benefits.
He did a similar thing around exercise. Cardio? Weights? Swimming? Jogging?
The best exercise for you, is the one you do.
For all of those reasons, I highly recommend this book.
Genuinely enjoyed it, and I hope you do, too.
Wrapping this up in a bow
Finally, I just want to reiterate how much I appreciate you. With the holiday season here, I hoe you are able to spend happy and needed time with family and friends.
Hug the ones you love.
Tell them how much they mean to you.
We never know when our last hug, our last kiss, our last chance to laugh and cry with someone may be, so make the most of every moment you have with the people you care about.
Happy Holidays.
Thank you for all of your support.
We’ll see you next year 😉
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Erik Soderborg 